2025–2028

Implemented by: ARPAA – Bophana Audiovisual Resource Center
Principal Financial Support: Agence Française de Développement (AFD)
Co-financed by: Rei Foundation Limited, Henry Luce Foundation, Myriad U.S.A.

A National Initiative for Memory and Youth

Cambodia’s audiovisual heritage including films, photographs, sound recordings, oral histories, and documentary materials constitutes an essential public resource for understanding the country’s history, cultural identity, and social transformation.

Yet many of these materials remain fragile and at risk due to aging formats, climate conditions, and limited preservation infrastructure.

The project “Enhancing the Preservation of Audiovisual Memory and Youth Empowerment” (2025–2028) strengthens Cambodia’s audiovisual heritage ecosystem while placing youth at the center of cultural transmission and creative engagement.

This national initiative is implemented by ARPAA – Bophana Audiovisual Resource Center with the principal financial support of Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and the co-financing of Rei Foundation Limited, the Henry Luce Foundation, and Myriad U.S.A.

Strengthening Cambodia’s Audiovisual Heritage Ecosystem

Through this project, ARPAA – Bophana Center reinforces its technical and institutional capacities to:

• Preserve and digitize endangered audiovisual collections
• Upgrade digital storage and long-term preservation systems
• Strengthen metadata management and archival standards
• Expand public access to archives for researchers, artists, teachers, students, and the general public

By consolidating infrastructure and professional practices, the project affirms audiovisual heritage as a shared public good and ensures its transmission to future generations.

Placing Youth at the Heart of Memory and Creation

Youth empowerment is a central pillar of the initiative.

In partnership with:

• Cambodian Living Arts
• Youth For Peace
• HelpAge Cambodia
• Department of Media and Communication (Royal University of Phnom Penh)
• Cambodia Film Commission

the project supports young people, particularly those from rural areas, indigenous communities, and underrepresented groups through:

• Documentary filmmaking training
• Multimedia production workshops
• Digital archiving training
• Mentorship and professional exchanges

By combining technical skills with critical reflection on history, culture, and social issues, young participants become cultural actors, storytellers, and guardians of memory.

Their works are disseminated through public screenings, exhibitions, mobile cinema programs, and community dialogues across Cambodia.

Awareness, Access and Intergenerational Dialogue

Beyond preservation and training, the project promotes inclusive access and public engagement.

Provincial screenings, mobile cinema initiatives, and intergenerational activities create spaces for dialogue between youth, elders, and communities.

These exchanges encourage reflection on history, identity, and shared values, strengthening social cohesion and cultural continuity.

International Cooperation and Long-Term Impact

International cooperation strengthens the project’s sustainability through collaboration with:

• Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA), USA
• Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC), France

These partnerships reinforce knowledge exchange, technical standards, and professional development.

Through combined national and international expertise, the project establishes a collaborative framework designed for long-term institutional resilience, expanded cultural access, and the emergence of a new generation of committed cultural professionals.

Support from Agence Française de Développement

Agence Française de Développement (AFD) is the French public development institution supporting inclusive and sustainable development.

Through its principal financial support, AFD contributes to:

• Institutional strengthening
• Cultural cooperation
• Youth empowerment
• Sustainable access to cultural heritage

This partnership reinforces Franco–Cambodian cooperation in culture, education, and social cohesion.

Follow the Project

Regular updates will share:

• Digitization milestones
• Youth training achievements
• Public events and exhibitions
• Impact indicators and testimonies

For more information:
www.bophana.org